1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to application of alpha-numerics to a work piece in a production line, and particularly to the application of sequential numbering to extruded wire or cable during the production process.
2. Description of Related Art
In various industry manufacturing and production lines the inkjet printer is often used for printing various alpha-numeric characters on a product. In one example, sequential numbers are printed on a wire or cable during the wire extrusion process. The numbers may indicate a dimension of the wire, such as length. In other words, the entire length of wire includes printed numbers to indicate the length of the wire at any one particular location.
In order to manufacture wire with sequential numbering, machine operators set up a reel of bare wire on spooling device called the payoff reel. The wire is then run through one or more extruders that coat the wire with an insulator and sometimes a jacket. After the wire passes through the extruders, it encounters a printer head that applies the sequential numbering to indicate wire length at a particular point on the wire. A preset length of wire is typically specified and input by a printer operator and printed continuously onto the wire as it is extruded. Finally, the finished wire is spooled onto a take-up reel.
Generally, the length of bare wire on the reel at the payoff is substantially longer than the amount of finished wire placed on the take-up reel. This means that one reel on the payoff will often be used to create several reels of finished wire, and ideally the production process will not be interrupted until the payoff reel is empty. In many cases, the operator desires various lengths of wire or cable from the payoff reel. For example, supposing the operator desires a first segment of wire to have a length of 500′, the operator will enter a preset length of 500′ into the printer interface. The printer will print sequential alpha-numerics onto the wire as it is spooled and extruded until it reaches the “target number” of 500′. The printer will then reset to 0. If the operator desires the next segment to have a different length, for example 1000′, the operator has two options: (1) enter a new target length as quickly as possible after the previous segment of wire is marked to the target number, or (2) stop the production line and reprogram the next batch target number.
The current systems and methods include significant and costly disadvantages. First, if the machine operator wishes to change the sequential numbering to a different target number without stopping production, the operator must enter a password and go through a number of steps in the printer's interface to reset the target. In addition to all of the steps necessary to adjust the target number, the process is further complicated due to a program interface that is anything but intuitive. Furthermore, as the machine operator is going through the process of changing the target number, the wire continues through the extruder, but the sequential numbering stops until the operator has finished making the adjustment in the program. Therefore, the wire that passes through the production line while the machine operator is in the program must then be scrapped because it does not include any sequential numbering. Finally, as a result of these many disadvantages, the operator must perform efficiently and quickly and thus the operator requires advanced training in order to perform the steps necessary to adjust the target number on current printers and printer interfaces.
Second, it is also be possible for the operator to shut down production while the target number is being changed. However, this would dramatically slow down production since many failures occur at startup, and because the machines must gradually be brought up to operating speed when they are started.
Thus, there is need in the art for a method and device with an easy to use printer interface that eliminates all of the process shortcomings listed above. There is also need in the art for a system and method that can efficiently alter the target number in a sequential alpha-numeric printing production process that does not require shutting down production, and does not result in wasted product.